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Sunday, June 4, 2017

Vienna Austria - Travel & Tourism

After touring Budapest the time zone change and jet lag was
still affecting me but I had time to relax on the train ride to Vienna and
city’s beauty revived my excitement. Home to sprawling palaces, intricate
Baroque architecture and rich musical history, Vienna’s cultural pleasures are
endless and it is not unusual to come across an afternoon beer festival in the
middle of a work day.

I stayed at the Austria Trend Hotel Park Royal Palace which
is a couple blocks from the majestic Schonbrunn
Palace - a popular tourist attraction. The area is shrouded with billowing
trees and lush parks but there aren’t many restaurants nearby and the 20 min
walk to and from the metro station (especially at night after a long day of
touring) was exhausting.

The
hotel decor is modern with a high-end feel, featuring comfortable rooms (large
for European standards) all the basic amenities and a nice restaurant. My
only issues were the poorly designed shower, non-functioning air conditioner and the inconvenient location - it isn’t near the city center. Overall the hotel was clean and very trendy.

*Note: If you book the Vienna Pass, the bus to the city center stops outside of Schonbrunn Palace (walking distance
from this hotel).

*Travelers Tip:
If you find yourself in or around this area, there is a decent Indian restaurant
near the hotel called Daily Imbis (try the samosa).

The Vienna Pass

The
Vienna Pass is probably the most popular sightseeing tour in the city because
it grants you access to more than 60 top attractions and unlimited use of the hop-on, hop-off buses for the days you book. The pass is well worth the money if you plan to visit the various palaces, museums, art
galleries and cathedrals as you won't have to pay separate fees. It does not include entrance to the Opera House but
it does come with other perks like skipping lines, train ride around the palace
grounds, free museum audio guides, a ride on the Ferris wheel, entry to the
zoo, a river cruise and more! For more information visit the website by clicking HERE.

*Travelers Tip:
Use the pass to visit the 5D Time Travel Adventure. The experience is fun and educational.

Attractions & Sightseeing

You
can spend weeks in Vienna without running out of things to do so I made the most of my time by using the pass to visit some breathtaking
sights.

The Albertina Art Museum

(Houses one of the largest and
most important print rooms in the world)

By Picasso

Naturhistorisches Museium Wien -
Natural History Museum

Schonbrunn Palace

Vienna Opera House

St. Stephan’s Basilica

Graben Street

(One of the most famous
pedestrian shopping streets in Vienna)

Burgtheater

(One of the most important
German language theaters in the world)

Belvedere Palace

*Travelers
Tip: Rent the audio guide for Belvedere Palace, it is well worth the €4.00

River Cruise

Klosterneuburg Monestary

Column of Pest (Holy Trinity
Column)

Votivkirche Church

Food

If you
enjoy a pint of beer and sausage on a bun then you’ll do just fine with the
German food in Vienna. I’m quite picky when it comes to meat and although I
like trying local foods (especially sweets) I usually stick to the familiar.

Cafe
Sacher is a posh eatery known for their delectable array of coffee and desserts.
The Sachertorte is a specific type of chocolate cake invented in Vienna by
Franz Sacher in 1832 for Prince Wenzel von Metternich. Although it is one of
the most famous Viennese culinary specialties, the chocolate flavor is mild
and the texture isn’t very rich. I also found the filling
a little tart and my cappuccino was cold but the cafe's ambiance is beautiful. As I sipped
my drink, melodious notes from the Opera House wafted in through the patio and
the elegant decor with sparkling chandeliers resembled a royal tea room.

If you
like pizza (as I obviously do), then head over to L’Osteria after a little shopping
on Graben Street. The pizzas are huge and the panzerotti spinache (creamy
pasta) is seriously delicious!

I look forward to visiting Vienna again soon and if you’d like to check out my travel guide for Budapest click HERE.